Onside Law LLP

onsidelaw.co.uk

Adam acts for a broad range of clients including individuals, rightsholders, teams, agencies, brands and data-driven businesses. He has also spent time on secondment at the Rugby Football Union and the Lawn Tennis Association. Adam’s practice predominantly involves general commercial matters including supply of goods/services contracts, agreements relating to the exploitation of data, software and intellectual property rights and sponsorship/endorsement contracts. He has particular experience in the fields of technology, digital media and broadcasting.

Ben Hanglin

Ben has advised on various high profile deals in the sport industry. Recently, Ben advised Ackerley Sports Group on its investment in South African rugby’s commercial rights (including the Springboks), Two Circles on its sale to Charterhouse Capital Partners, Y11 Sport & Media on its acquisition of LimeLight Sports Club and partnership with the Free State Cheetahs, the ECB on preparing The Hundred (or its teamcos) for investment and E1 Powerboats on the establishment of its championship and celebrity-backed teamcos. Ben recently closed funding rounds for Sportable, InCrowd, and Ellipse Data. Ben has advised high-profile athletes such as Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Luka Dončić on equity investments. Ben has prior experience working on a wide range of UK and cross-border corporate transactions, including private equity investments, private M&A, public takeovers, fundraisings, joint ventures, and restructurings.

Chris Walsh

Chris’ long-term clients include the England and Wales Cricket Board and a number of other national and international governing bodies, rights-holders, clubs, sports agencies, broadcasters, sponsors, investors and prominent individuals operating across all the major sports. In addition to his commercial practice, Chris is Onside Law’s Head of Dispute Resolution, in which capacity he advises a wide range of sport sector and other clients in relation to a variety of domestic and international disputes, as well as on disciplinary and other regulatory matters. Chris regularly represents clients in proceedings before the English courts, in domestic and international arbitrations (including before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and Sport Resolutions UK) and mediations, and before other quasi-judicial bodies and tribunals. Chris is recommended as a leading sports lawyer in all of the independent legal directories, in which he is described by commentators as “a brilliant solicitor”, “an excellent all-rounder” and “a go-to lawyer, clever, realistic, wonderful with clients.” He also regularly contributes to sports law and business publications, speaks at sports industry conferences and appears on sports law webinars and television as a sports law expert. He also sits as a Specialist Member on the Sports Resolutions Panel of Arbitrators and regularly contributes to sports law and business publications, speaks at sports industry conferences and appears on sports law webinars and television as a sports law expert.

Harriet Leach

Harriet Leach is a Legal Director and Head of Women’s Football. Harriet is a senior corporate and commercial lawyer and is building a fierce reputation as a leading lawyer within women’s sport. Recent highlights include advising: England Netball on investment opportunities and all aspects of the launch of Netball Super League 2.0, including participation terms, governance, regulation and player matters; The ECB on potential investment in The Hundred, including corporate structuring and preliminary advice; World Rugby on its joint venture with Major League Rugby (MLR) in connection with the operation and governance of the Hawks, a new franchise competing in the MLR; Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) a new client on a range of commercial and regulatory matters, including commercial agreements and its remuneration cap; The ECB on the funding, operation and structuring of the pro women’s cricket, including the tender and documentation for “Project Darwin”; Six Nations Rugby on corporate structuring and preliminary advice in connection with the Nations Cup, a new international rugby competition to be owned and operated with SANZAAR. More Than Equal a new client on its inaugural driver development programme which aims to find and develop the first female F1 world champion; Several Women’s Championship football clubs, including Lewes F.C. on corporate structuring and investment plans and London City Lionesses on various player transfers, employment and data protection matters. Harriet hosted another event in her popular New Era Series for Women’s Sport series in partnership with DAZN, moderating a panel featuring Kelly Simmons OBE, Beth Barrett-Wild (ECB), Belinda Moore (PWR) and Anmol Malhotra (Snap Inc) in front of 150 participants to discover what it takes to operate an elite women’s sport league/competition as more turn professional and implement new corporate structures. Harriet won the award for “Contribution of Regulation/Services in Women’s Sport” at the Everything in Sport 2023 Awards. Harriet also speaks and writes regularly on topical issues within sport, including recently moderating a panel on “Governing the Game: The urgent need for reform” at Women in Football’s sold out Be Inspired Conference at Wembley and on Women’s Football at Law in Sport’s Football Law Conference 2023. Harriet co-authored the Chambers and Partners’ Guide for Sports Law 2021-2023. Harriet leads the firm’s partnership with Women In Football accelerating Onside Law’s ED&I ambitions.

James Tobias

James specialises in advising clients at the intersect of sports, media and technology and has broad experience advising clients across the sports and media industries on all commercial matters. James has a particular expertise in media rights exploitation and distribution, the production and acquisition of content, high-value sponsorship and endorsement agreements and complex contractual joint venture arrangements. James also regularly advises clients on Web3 strategy, the application of digital technologies to the sports industry and the establishment and delivery of new sports tournaments and competitions. James advises a range of stakeholders across the sports, esports and media industries, including international federations, national governing bodies, clubs, brands, broadcasters, production companies, digital platform operators, technology start-ups, sponsorship agencies and influencers. Prior to joining Onside Law in 2019, James trained and worked in the Entertainment and Media Group at Reed Smith where he undertook multiple client secondments, giving him a valuable insight into the internal pressures and sensitivities facing clients and how to effectively advise them.

Jamie Singer

Co-founding partner Jamie Singer has been advising on high profile commercial, intellectual property, governance and regulatory matters across the sports and entertainment industries for over 25 years. His commercial practice includes sponsorship, media rights, licensing, hosting, image rights and talent management. His regulatory practice focuses, in particular, on integrity and match fixing cases. Highlights include advising: football clubs AC Milan, West Ham and Rangers on their top tier sponsorship contracts and commercial rights exploitation issues generally (including AC Milan’s front of shirt sponsorship with Emirates) governing bodies such as World Rugby, Six Nations, LTA, European Rugby and ECB on complex negotiations including South Africa’s participation in rugby’s Champions Cup and structuring of the new Nations Cup regulators such as the Grand Slam Board of tennis and the International Tennis Integrity Agency; and talent such as Jannik Sinner and Sir Andy Murray All of the leading independent legal directories recommend him as a leading sports law practitioner, in which he is described as: “Providing an amazingly efficient, straightforward service.” (Legal 500) “He is superb; he has a wealth of experience and his counsel on sensitive issues is invaluable.” (Chambers) “He is an impressive practitioner with experience advising clients that range from sports teams to broadcasters in a wide range of dispute, intellectual property and commercial matters.” (Who’s Who Legal) He Co Authored the Sponsorship and Commercial Rights chapter of the textbook “Football and the Law” edited by Nick de Marco QC.

Jerry McGrath

Jerry’s clients include international sports federations and competitions, such as the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the International University Sport Federation (FISU) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), athletes, agencies and other rights intermediaries and several international brands including Pringles and The Faction Collective. Prior to joining Onside Law, Jerry spent 7 years as senior counsel at UEFA working across the full range of its commercial activities on the Champions League, the European Championships, the Europa League and its other properties. Jerry has spent the last few years building an independent sports consultancy which will be continued through our Swiss office.

Jonathan Morgan

Jon is uniquely placed to advise on both commercial and competition law matters, and regularly advises clients on antitrust-related issues that arise in the context of contractual negotiations, media rights distributions and tender processes. Jon acts on a broad range of complex commercial instructions for stakeholders across the sports industry, including in relation to major sports event bidding and hosting arrangements, sponsorship agreements, and digital transformation projects. Jon’s commercial practice covers commercial contracts, IP licensing, technology and digital agreements and data protection. He advises a range of sports governing bodies and international federations, including FIFA, the FIA, the RFU, the LTA, the ECB and the WRU.

Leon Farr

Leon advises stakeholders across the sports industry, including international federations, national governing bodies, sports teams, talent, intermediaries, brands and agencies. Leon has particular expertise advising on the delivery and protection of major sports events, having advised FIFA, World Rugby, the ICC Cricket World Cup, ECB and FISU on bidding and hosting matters relating to their flagship competitions. Leon also has expertise in sponsorship and personal endorsement programmes, football transfers and image rights, football finance transactions, and the commercial exploitation of media rights Leon has a wide range of in-house experience having spent two years on secondment at Lord’s Cricket Ground, where he acted as the lead lawyer for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 organising committee. In 2020, Leon spent six months on secondment with FIFA, primarily advising their sponsorship, licensing and digital teams. Leon is also a contributing author to the comprehensive legal review: Football and the Law (2nd Ed) (Bloomsbury, 2022).

Oliver Hunt

Oliver is a Commercial lawyer, and is well known for acting for Talent, particularly in golf and football. Oliver has been acting for Sir Nick Faldo for over 20 years and counts some of the biggest names in world sport as clients. Particular highlights include: Acting for Rory McIlroy on his ground-breaking Nike deal in 2012 Advising Ryder Cup Europe on the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 Ryder Cups. Playing a significant role in Eden Hazard’s move to Real Madrid in 2019 as part of his management team. Overseeing US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick’s business affairs. Other clients include Tommy Fleetwood, Red Bull Racing and Leeds United. Oliver has published a number of articles, appeared as an expert on BBC News, and has featured in the likes of Sports Business, The New York Times, The Times and the Daily Telegraph as a sports law expert.

Ross Brown

Ross is particularly known for his regulatory dispute experience through acting for governing bodies, sports teams and individuals across various areas including anti-corruption, anti-doping, contractual, disciplinary, safeguarding and selection disputes. Ross regularly acts as lead advocate for his clients in their disputes. Ross has strong experience in acting for: World Rugby on its anti-doping caseload, including at CAS; The International Tennis Integrity Agency in over 60 proceedings under the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program, including before CAS on several occasions, as well as the Tennis Anti-Doping Program; The England and Wales Cricket Board in relation to its regulatory investigations involving racism in cricket, its anti-doping caseload before the National Anti-Doping Panel and various disciplinary and safeguarding proceedings; INEOS Grenadiers in relation to several anti-doping matters arising out of investigations of UK Anti-Doping and the General Medical Council as well as UCI disciplinary proceedings involving one of its riders; Various governing bodies and individuals in proceedings before the National Safeguarding Panel and related safeguarding investigations, including the Sheldon Report into allegations of child abuse in football; The British Horseracing Authority regarding an independent investigation into the buying and selling practices of bloodstock; and Two Olympic athletes in their appeal of their non-selection for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Simon Thorp

Simon acts for a broad range of clients including investors, founders, business owners, sport’s governing bodies, teams, talent and entrepreneurs in the sport’s industry. Clients include ATP Media, England Netball, ECB, Two Circles, Ackerley Sports Group, Ellipse Data, Twenty First Group, Srixon, Engage Digital Partners and Gloucester Rugby. Simon’s practice predominantly involves general corporate and commercial matters including share purchase, asset transfer, investment, shareholder and joint venture agreements, along with specialist due diligence, investment and structuring in sport recent examples being: the structuring and launch of a new professional netball super league in UK including tender process for interested clubs and potential equity for third party investors and clubs; advising ATP Media on the reorganisation of the commercial assets of ATP Tour, ATP Media and TDI Data in men’s tennis; advising Ackerley Sports Group (US) on its investment in a new commercial vehicle holding and exploiting all of South African Rugby’s commercial rights, including the Springboks; advising Ellipse Data on a commercial and equity transaction with Football Dataco (a joint venture company of the Premier League and English Football League); advising Sports Recruitment Group on a sale to Elevate Sports Ventures; and advising Gloucester Rugby on the release of Louis Rees-Zammit to the NFL pathfinder programme, amongst many other matters. Simon is ranked as a leading sports law practitioner, in which he is described by commentators as “approachable, responsive and very practical in his approach and we are always impressed with his commercial understanding of our business needs. Commercially excellent with strong industry knowledge” and “adept at handling corporate work” (Legal 500) “He understands different types of acquisition and structures that we need to look at. He is very diligent and pragmatic” (Chambers & Partners). Simon also assists his former university, Durham, on the development of their sport’s programme and infrastructure.

Sophie Wilkinson

Sophie has significant experience advising on staging and licensing agreements for major events, including: European Athletics FIA FIFA ECB SRO Motorsports World Rugby Davis Cup competition Sophie also has experience in connection with broadcasting and media rights, both from a rights’ holder and broadcaster perspective (notably for ATP Media, Sunset+Vine and International Sports Broadcasting). Sophie has particular expertise in data protection, advising various governing bodies, sports integrity units and other commercial clients on complex data protection issues. Sophie is a key member of the team leading the relationship with FIFA and the FIA.

Stevie Loughrey

In the Legal 500 he is described as “an outstanding partner. He’s charming and a pleasure to work with and has the added bonus of a first-rate legal brain”. In recent years he has been involved in some of the highest profile sports law disputes and is regularly instructed by large sports entities on their most complex and highest value disputes. In rugby, he has advised World Rugby, the RFU, EPCR and Saracens. In football, he has advised West Ham and Leeds. In golf, he has advised the European Tour, the Ladies European Tour and Wentworth. In Formula One he has advised the FIA, Red Bull and BWT (a team sponsor). While he is most familiar with High Court litigation (particularly in the Commercial Court) he has experience of handling matters in all the main alternative dispute resolution forums (e.g. LCIA / ICC arbitration, Sports Resolution, mediations, CAS, FA Rule K and various other governing bodies own procedures). Stevie also regularly advises high profile individuals and companies in relation to media matters (particularly in relation to libel and privacy/breach of confidence).

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